One to Remember
by amandalfowler
Summary: This story is about a teenage girl named Aubrey who is alone in the zombie apocalypse. Aubrey meets a teenage Carl Grimes and life starts to become a little easier. How long will this new world last? Can there still be love in a dying world?
1. Prequel

I'm usually happy not to see any living people but it's been almost a month now. I don't see people too often but usually once a week or so. I'm starting to wonder if there is anyone left around here. I guess that's why I decided it was time to leave.

I think it's been about 6 years since everything went to hell. When it all started I was scared as hell. I watched my mom get eaten before I knew what was going on. My dad taught me everything after that. It took us a while to find a town that wasn't completely over run but we did. It was only safe for a few years though and then it was gone, just like everything else.

I've been alone for about a year now. I've always been kind of a loner anyways. However it gets pretty lonely from time to time. Unfortunately the pickings for friends now a days is pretty low. The problem is I'm starting to wonder if I can make it on my own. I mean I've made it this far but it's getting harder. I think I have enough food left for about a week. I'm hoping to find some houses or a town to hit before I run out.

I look around a little bit longer to make sure I'm not forgetting anything. I've been staying in a tree house for the past month or so. I always wanted a tree house when I was younger but we could never afford one. When I seen it while I was looking for supplies I couldn't resist staying.

"Really? A tree house?" a boy's voice said from behind me. I turned around so quickly I fell. What I did however manage to do was grab my pistol and point it at the boy. That's when I got a chance to look at him. He was young, maybe about 15, he was slender and average height. His hair was long for a boys and dark brown. His blue jeans were dirty but not as much as his boots were. There was a smirk on his face that only made the blue in his eyes light up more. "Woah, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that" he said holding up his hands.

"Who are you?" I said after I caught my breath. I guess I really didn't have to go anywhere to find anyone. The problem was I knew when things were too good it's because they weren't going to last very long.

"My name is Carl" He said and he tipped the hat he was wearing. I had just now noticed it was a sheriff's hat. This made me wonder who the kid was even more.

"Well what are you doing in my tree house?" I asked him still pointing the gun at him. I had to be sure he wasn't dangerous or crazy. It was hard to tell if people were good or bad in the world anymore. And in a world with so much bad you have to be extra careful.

"My friends and I are looking for supplies in this town. I seen the tree house and thought it was cool. Are you by yourself?" he asked me.

"Yeah, I might be…" I said trailing off. It always sucked to tell people you were alone in the world. I was glad when the boy didn't ask me where anyone was. I think that was a question people had learned not to ask anymore. It was hard enough to remember loved one who died on your own. You don't need anyone else reminding you.

"We have a little camp set up, you could come back with us?" I wasn't sure if he was asking or telling me when he said it.

"I don't know" was all I could say. I was about to start walking to look for somewhere new and then this kid shows up. I wasn't sure whether to take that as I sign or what. But then again you can never let your guard down.

"I'll go, but only because I as packing up anyway" I said watching his carefully.

"Can I help you carry anything?" He asked me smiling. I didn't know that smile would be so hard to forget.

 **This is a look at a story I'm creating in my head at the moment. I wanted to see what everyone thought of the idea before I put too much time into writing more. Chapter one will be here soon though so enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 1

Carl and his people had a car that we took back to their camp. The ride back was about twenty minutes. Carl and Maggie were the names of the others that Carl was with. It didn't take me long to figure out that Maggie and Glenn were together. I wondered if they had met before or after the end of the world. I had met other couples that met after all the dead appeared. In my opinion a relationship in this world had to be ten times as strong as old relationships. If you were lucky enough to keep your significant other. I had come to the conclusion mine would most likely get eaten for dinner.

Carl sat next to me in the backseat asking me questions most of the ride. Where are you from? How long have you been alone? I didn't really want to answer most of them. I wasn't sure how to answer most of them. It's hard to tell people about the people you've lost. It's hard to tell people about all the people you've had to watch die. And it's incredibly hard to think about the past and not break out in tears. Well it is for me at least.

"How old are you?" was Carl's current question.

"I'm seventeen, what about you?" I asked being pulled out of my unpleasant thoughts.

"I'm sixteen" he said starring out the window with a bleak face. He was a few years younger than I would've thought. Sure he had a baby face but he was tall and acted pretty mature. I guess there wasn't much time to be a kid in this world.

The ride was silent for a few minutes after that. I wondered what put a stop to Carl's questions. That's when the road came to a clearing where I noticed there was a huge prison. The building was damaged on the south part of it but the fences and gates where still intact. Then I noticed the towers with people on guard. I definitely hadn't imagined a prison whenever they said they had a camp. I had to admit it was a really great idea.

"When you said you had a camp I didn't imagine a prison" I said looking out the windows to take in the surroundings.

"Home sweet home" Maggie said with a smile.

We pulled up to the gates and a few moments later they were opening. We slowly pulled through the gates and they closed behind us. A few dead bodies walked up to the fences and a man quickly killed them. I noticed angel wings on the back of his leather vest. If there were still biker gangs he would definitely be affiliated with one.

Maggie parked the car and everyone got out. Maggie went straight to the trunk to get supplies and Glenn stopped to talk to Carl. Glenn pulled Carl off to the side and tried to whisper to him. However, I just so happen to be a great listener.

"You should take her to Rick" Glenn said to him. Carl only nodded and then turned to walk in my direction. Whose Rick, I wondered.

"Come on, this way" Carl said to me, nodding in the direction he was about to walk. I didn't move at first. Carl just watched me for a few moments with a slightly confused look on his face. I thought for a few seconds and then turned to walk in the direction he wanted. I had made it this far, no point in turning back now.

"Who's Rick?" I asked as I followed him up to the prison.

"Rick is my dad, he's kind of in charge of the place" he said with a smirk as he pulled open a big metal door. It made a slight creaking noise as he held it open for me to enter.

Well of course his dad is in charge I thought to myself as we walked through the prison. I noticed more people walking around as we got further inside. They all moved about as if I wasn't there, as if there was no danger outside the walls. That made it feel so… normal.

"He was in the garden when we left so we can check there first" he said turning to look at me. I just assumed he meant his dad and kept following behind him.

"You guys have a garden?" I said realizing finally what he had said. I hadn't seen or met any groups of others that had been able to sustain a garden. That was a real sign of progress in m opinion.

"Yeah, it's kind of small right now but it's growing. A work in progress." He said opening the door. A bright light blinded me for a second and I realized we were outside again. Carl tilted his hat down some to help block the sun from his eyes. I was starting to like the sheriff hat on him, it was kind of hot. I was also a little curious where he got it.

Once we were outside I quickly noticed the garden he was talking about. He was right it was a work in progress, but it was still a start. It looked like they had a few different crops growing and all the plants were still small. They did have plenty of room for it to grow though. There was also a pen with a few hogs in it. These people really were trying to make this work here. Trying to make a home.

"Hey dad" Carl called to a man who was raking in the garden. He was tall and lean like Carl. As I observed his face I could tell he was in charge. His face was stern and serious. I now could see why Carl was so serious and careful. His dad's posture screamed I'm a hard ass. "We have a new guest"

"I see that" his dad responded looking at me through squinting eyes. He held his hand up to block the sun from his eyes. Then after looking me over for a few moments he held his hand out to me. "Rick Grimes"

"Aubrey Marks" I said shaking his hand in return.

"It's just you?" Rick asked me cocking his head to the side, a concerned look on his face.

"Yeah, I've been alone since I lost my dad. That was about a year ago." I looked down in case either of them gave me a look of pity. I didn't want anyone's pity. Almost everyone had lost someone by now. If not everyone.

"You look a little young to be out there by yourself." He said glancing toward the fences. A dead one walked toward the fence and was killed soon afterwards by a woman with short hair. The body dropped to the ground and she continued to look out. He did have a point but almost anyone can survive.

"I guess I've just learned a lot the past few years" I said glancing at Carl. He was watching his dad with a smirk on his face. I was wondering what he was thinking.

"I think we all have" Rick laughed a little and looked over at Carl, then back to me. "Well go ahead and find her an empty get her set up. Show her around and introduce her to people. Also make sure you tell Carol we have an extra mouth for dinner tonight. I'll come by in a few hours to talk."

"Yeah no problem" Carl nodded and then we headed back towards the prison.

"Thanks for taking me in" I said to Rick and headed after Carl.

"What does your dad want to talk about?" I asked when I caught up to Carl.

"He just wants to ask you some questions. He likes to know a little about where you're from, what you're like and some of the things you've seen. It's his way of telling what type of person you are. If you're dangerous and need to be watched or anything." He said with a shrug. "If I trust you though, he will too"


	3. Chapter 2

The next week was the easiest life had been in a long time. I could actually sleep most of the night here. It took a few days to get used to not having to worry about the dead all night. It was nice knowing I would get to eat the next day. Oh and I can't forget about the showers. They actually had decent working showers here. The water may be cold and they're still prison showers but it beats a river or a bucket. I was also warming up to the idea of being around other living people.

Rick had come to talk to me on the first night and I have to admit I was a little nervous. I was happy to find out however that he was just as nice as his son. His trust was a little harder to win over but he just happened to be more cautious than Carl. I could tell he had been through a lot of things. It's probably what made him such a good leader.

Rick spent our most of the time asking questions. He wanted to know if I had ever killed any people. The answer was no. I had watched my dad kill people to protect us. I however became good enough at hiding from people and staying my distance. I had been lucky enough so far not to have to. Then he asked how many of the dead I had kill, or if I had. The answer to that was yes.

It was hard at first, I was young and scared. There was a time where things were more hectic. When everything first happened. There were more people running around and more of the dead. I didn't have another choice but to learn to defend myself. I didn't just want to protect myself though, I wanted to protect my dad.

Unfortunately I had failed at that. Rick also was interested in what had happened to my dad. I didn't tell him the whole story. I just told him the important parts. The fact he had died trying to help me live. As you can see I did survive, even though I constantly wish I didn't.

I guess Carl was right though, Rick did seem to trust me too. He explained to me the basic rules of the prison and what they were trying to do there. The hopes and the goals they had in order. He explained that everyone had a job and he assigned me one as well. I would start the following day.

My job was to help Maggie in the watch towers. We had gotten a little closer over the last week. We spent a decent amount of the day talking about what life used to be like and what our hopes for the new world were. She told me about her old life. How she lived on the farm and how she met Rick and the others. She told me the story of how they found the prison and what they hoped for the future. She also spent a lot of time talking about Glenn but I could only think about Carl while she was talking.

I didn't see him that much since the day he showed me around. I was in the tower most of the days with Maggie now. I noticed Carl's everyday life seemed to consist of taking care of his little sister Judith and helping his dad. Every day he was out with his dad running whatever errands Rick asked for and assisting him with his tasks.

However there was a run coming up and Maggie had asked me if I would like to join them. I was happy to learn by "them" she meant Carl and Glenn. I would finally get the chance to talk to him again. That was the most exciting part about the trip. I was glad to be able to get out of the prison too. I wanted a chance to look for more books or comics. I couldn't however seem to get Carl out of my head.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" I said to Maggie.

"Yeah, shoot" she replied moving the hair from her eyes.

"Aren't you scared of losing Glenn?" I asked her.

"Of course, every day, all the time" she responded looking at me a little confused.

"Then why take the chance?"

"Because in the end it's worth it no matter what happens" she paused for a minute like she was thinking and then continued talking "It's worth it because I get to be with someone that makes the days go by a little easier. Someone to help make the bad days not so bad. Someone who makes getting up every morning worth it. A good memory to hold on to when we have nothing else. A hope to move on."

Listening to Maggie I could hear the passion and hope in her voice. It was something refreshing to be around. I could tell she really did love Glenn and I could only hope to be able to find the same one day. Especially in a world that seemed to be dying. It's something special that needs to be held onto.

"Is everything okay?" Maggie asked after a few minutes of silence. I wasn't really sure how to answer her. I wasn't really sure why I was asking. Well actually yes I was. I glanced a crossed the yard to where Carl stood next to his dad. They were currently building another animal pen. A baby deer had been rescued this morning. The mom hadn't made it but they got to the baby in time before the dead did. They seemed to have a lot of hope they could keep the yearling alive in the chances of breeding it. I watched Carl and Rick for a few moments. I could tell from here that Carl was dirty and sweaty. The fact that I was even noticing how cute he was when his hair and shirt where damp with sweat was a problem. I sighed and turned back to Maggie.

"No, everything is fine" I lied with a fake smile on my face. I knew it was a bad idea to have feelings for anyone in this world, even after talking to Maggie. She may have the hope and courage to love someone but I don't think I'm ready. I mean I've spent the last year alone because I lost my dad to a group of the dead. It took me this long to even want to be part of a group again, even though I knew it was crucial for survival. I know it's what my dad would want for me. He would want me to survive. He died so I could survive, and I can't forget that.

We were by ourselves for a while as well. We lost mom pretty early and I think it made my dad feel the same as I did. We weren't scared to be a part of a group, we were scared to lose more people. We learned quickly that just the two of us wasn't going to work. It was too hard to fend off any walking dead. It was harder to hunt and find supplies. We took up with a small group at first. We went through about three or four before we found a stable home.

Nothing is perfect however and after a year the dead broke through and well that's how I lost my dad. I still have nightmares about it. It's one of the reasons sleeping was so hard at night. But I'm beginning to like it here. I'm beginning to hope everyone here is right. Maybe this place can be a home. And if so the question is, can it be MY home?


	4. Chapter 3

I spent the rest of the day thinking about the run we were going on tomorrow. I was excited to do something as part of the group. I liked helping Maggie in the towers but I wanted to do something more. Sitting around in a tower wasn't getting much done. We needed to keep our supplies up if we wanted to expand this place. If I wanted to live here and be a part of rebuilding the world then I needed to do my part.

See the only plus side I could find to the world ending was going through everyone else's things. I guess it could be because I was always one of those quiet people who listen and watch. I liked to listen to what was going on around me. What other people were talking about and doing. It's always good to know your surroundings. But I think it was more than that. I guess even though I didn't like people that much I found them interesting.

It's crazy the things you can find out about people by looking through their stuff. The secrets people can hide and the places they choose to hide them. Then there is the history you can find from digging through someone's old photo albums. It helps remember what life used to be and what it could be again. Which is just what I needed right about now.

I stood up from the bunk that was by bed and straightened it up some. That unfortunately was one of the downsides of the prison, the beds were terrible. I wasn't going to complain though, it wasn't the worst place I had ever slept.

I threw the back pack I had on the bed. I hadn't really had a chance to unpack and really settle in so I figured why not now? I needed the back pack anyway for the run. I figured I could leave the couple of books and comics I had stashed. I pulled them out and a few pictures fell out along with them. I picked them up and hesitated to look at them. I knew what they were, I mean I only had five or six of them left in this world. There was a photo of me as a baby sitting in my grandfather's lap. There was one from my mom and dad wedding which was one of my favorites. I loved how happy they seemed to be in the picture. Hell they were happy up until the end. I squeezed my eyes shut holding back tears.

They say time heals. The problem is they don't really tell you how long. I mean obviously you never really stop missing your family or loved ones you lose. I just wanted it to be easier and soon. I turned over the last photo. This one was my favorite. This one was taken about a month before it all ended. It was on my birthday before we went out for a nice dinner. Were all dressed up nice and smiling. I would give almost anything to go back to those times.

I would give anything to go back to waking up every morning to moan about going to school. To wake up and worry if I have a test today or what I should wear to the movies. I wish my biggest problems were still algebra and boys. Well I mean I guess one of them could still be boys.

"You ready for our run today?" I turned around quickly dropping a few of the pictures, startled by the voice. I instantly recognized it though. Speak of the devil, it was Carl.

"I was actually actually clearing out my backpack now" I said picking up the pictures quickly so Carl wouldn't see them.

"Okay well Glenn and Maggie are getting the car ready now. I'll come back and get you when were ready" he said wathing me.

"Okay, thank you" I wasn't really sure what else to say.

"You like comics?" Carl asked taking a step inside the cell. He eyes got a little brighter when he seen the ones I had set on the crate next to my bed. I hadn't really pictured him as being a comic type.

"Yeah, I like reading just about anything really. It's one of the best ways to gain knowledge I believe. There is always something for you to learn from a book" I felt a little stupid after I said it.

"Maybe we can trade some comics some time. I'd like to see what all you have. Obviously pickings are a little slim nowadays" he said laughing slightly.

"Actually, here!" I said grabbing them quickly. I held them out to him and he just stared at them for a few moments. "You can have them"

"Are you sure?" he asked taking them from me slowly.

"Yeah, I've read them a million times. I could probably recite what they say in my sleep" Carl laughed a little and I felt better now that he was smiling.

"Thank you" he said.

"No problem, I have faith I'll find some new ones. We weren't' the first comic book fans out there."

"I know how it feels you know" he said after a few moments of silence. The smile that was on his face had been replaced by a more serious one. I guess he could tell I was confused because he pointed. I followed his finger to the direction he had pointed. That's when I realized I had dropped the picture of me and my parents again. I picked it up quickly and shoved it in a book. "I lost my mom too"

That was all he said before he strode off down the hall. I thought about looking to see if he was still close or if he had walked too far away already. The problem was I wasn't even sure was to say about that. I really wanted to tell him I was sorry to hear about his mom. I was sorry to hear about anyone's mom. It wasn't fair to have to grow up without a mother. Unfortunately it was becoming way too common.

I shrugged it off for the moment so I could finish unpacking. I would worry about it later when I actually had a chance to have another conversation with him. I mean we were about to be gone for hours together. I guess alone wasn't really the word to use since Maggie and Glenn would be there too. It would however give me the opportunity and the excuse to talk to him. I was beginning to get the feeling I didn't need an excuse though.


End file.
